Tricks of the Trade
Northern Berkshire Creative Arts (NBCA) and MCLA's Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC) are co-sponsoring a series of talks and seminars for working artists entitled, Tricks of the Trade: Talks for Artists. This eight-month lecture series will feature topics ranging from the creative process of art making to advice on how to do taxes as an artist.
New Pilot Initiative Will Provide Assistance for Berkshire County Artists
MASS MoCA, MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center, and Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development are working together under the umbrella of Berkshire Creative to launch a pilot initiative, Assets for Artists, aimed at helping artists throughout the county who wish to become home owners and/or receive small business training and assistance. Training sessions (custom-designed for artists) will be offered on both home ownership and business management, and a limited amount of financial assistance will be available for nine low- to moderate-income artists through “individual development accounts".
Download the pre-application form for more information on eligibility for the Assets for Artists program, and we encourage you to attend one of the upcoming information sessions on Monday, April 14, at 5:30pm at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts (28 Renne Avenue) in Pittsfield, and on Thursday, April 17, at 5:30pm at MCLA’s Gallery 51 (51 Main Street) in North Adams.
If you have any questions about the pre-application process or the program in general, please contact Blair Benjamin at MASS MoCA (413-664-4481 x8104 or blair@massmoca.org), who is leading the Assets for Artists program on behalf of Berkshire Creative and the program partners.
The Berkshire Cultural Resource Center--a collaborative project of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) and the City of North Adams--provides the regional arts community training, resources, access, and marketing support to artists, arts managers, arts scholars, and arts-related entrepreneurs. The center, formed in spring 2006, is hosting a series of instructional workshops in nonprofit management with an arts focus, delivered by leaders and working professionals from the arts-rich Berkshire region. The center administers the Berkshire Hills Internship Program (B-HIP), an innovative program for early career arts managers that connects them with professional experience, training, mentorship and supervision delivered by established professionals. The center also serves as a clearinghouse of information for working artists about resources available in the community, from materials to studio space to exhibition venues to social marketing.
The Berkshire Cultural Resource Center is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council through the John and Abigail Adams Arts Program.
Berkshire Cultural Resource Center
at Gallery 51
51 Main Street, North Adams, MA 01247
(413) 664-8718
Jessica Conzo, Program Coordinator
Jonathan Secor, Director of Special Programs, MCLA